“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

TUESDAY, July 20th   Mt. 12: 46-50   “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”

• How beautiful that Jesus calls all who strive to do the will of His heavenly Father, his brother, sister, and mother!
• An important way for us to live out brotherhood and sisterhood with Christ is through prayers of Contrition and Reparation, not just for our personal sins, but for the sins of the whole world!
• Fr. Ed Broom gives us the template to carry this out! 

ENRICH YOUR PRAYER LIFE WITH PRAYERS OF REPARATION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We should constantly be striving to improve upon our prayer life. What air is to our lungs, prayer is to our soul. It is essential; it is a matter of life and death! The forms of prayer are multiple. A simple way to understand the key forms of prayer is by means of a four-letter acronym: A. C. T.  S.

• A—stands for Adoration, the highest form of prayer that we can offer to Almighty God. This is the prayer of the highest choir of angels in heaven.
• C—stands for Contrition—meaning? We are all sinners and we are called to repent firmly for our own personal sins, trusting always in God’s mercy!
• T—stands for Thanksgiving. All that we have—aside from our own personal sins—are gifts from the infinite bounty and generosity of Almighty God’s love!
• S—stands for Supplication. Not a word well-known or used in common parlance. It simply means the prayer of petition. Saint Augustine says with great clarity: “We are all beggars before God.” We all need God desperately for everything!

In this short essay we would like to focus specifically upon the prayer form of Contrition—which means sorrow for our sins. However, an integral part of Contrition should also be our desire to make many forms of reparation for our sins, as well as for the sins of the world at large. We pray in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, that Jesus gave to the world through Saint Faustina Kowalska, these words: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.” That is to say, our prayer should take on a universal dimension; actually the word Catholic means “Universal”—all embracing, open to all people who live upon planet earth, and also, all those who have passed from this world to the next! Without further ado, let us launch into a prayer in which we want to beg pardon and make reparation—meaning to make up for and to satisfy God’s justice—for all people, ourselves and the whole world!

You might be wondering, then who should we pray for, in what order of importance, where should we pray, when should we pray, how should we pray and with what disposition of heart? We would like to offer a list of those for whom we should pray; remember, with true Contrition and Firm Purpose of Reparation!

1. Me, Myself, & I

You might be thinking that this is somewhat egotistic, self-centered and even narcissistic. Not true! God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind: to praise Him and to save our own individual soul. It is not egoistic to pray for our own conversion, sanctification, growth in holiness and final perseverance. Rather, it is a matter of life and death. We all must individually, in the words of the Apostle Saint Paul, “work out our salvation in fear and in trembling.” (Phil. 2:12) “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

2. Our Family Members

Then our prayers should extend to our family members, first and foremost! Spouses should pray for each other, then their children, then their parents, and finally other blood-relatives. God brought you together in a family; you should pray fervent prayers of reparation for the many sins of all of your family members. May your prayers serve to make up for the damage they have done through their many sins. “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

3. Catholic Church at Large and in its Entirety

The Catholic Church is the church that has the most members in the entire world—more than one billion members presently! To be honest, not all are ready to be canonized right now! All are sinners, and to make things worse, most Catholics do not even practice their faith—that is to say, they do not even attend Sunday Mass. Just this one comment merits a huge dose of reparation from many fervent souls! If not us, then who? “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

4. Your Specific Local Church 

Now the specific local Catholic church that we attend consists of many unrepentant sinners. Many of these Catholics do not attend Mass. Most likely, many question certain Church practices. Many have gaping wounds that they are not striving to heal. Many have never begged pardon for their own sins, much less the sins of members of their families. For those in our local church, our local parish to which we belong, let us offer fervent prayers of reparation: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

5. “Social Sins that Have Become Embedded in the Fiber of Society”

Pope Saint John Paul II coined this long theological term. What it means is simply this: there are some serious sins that are not only individual and personal, but they have actually become embedded into the very fiber, marrow, if you like heart of society. These structural sins would be the following: abortion, legalization of same-sex unions, the legalization in some States of euthanasia—killing the elderly and infirm. For these social sins embedded in and encrusted on the very fabric and heart of society, we beg pardon and willingly intend reparation. About every 20 seconds an innocent baby is being murdered through the abominable crime and heinous sin of abortion. “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

6. Sinners Who Deny That They Are Sinners

There is a class of individuals, indeed very prevalent and widespread in society today, and they are those individuals who claim stridently that they actually have no sins whatsoever. Pope Ven. Pius XII of blessed memory stated: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” Many Catholics have not approached the Sacrament of Confession for years. They blurt out, with an air of pride and arrogance: “Well, I have no sins!” We all know that they have many sins, as we all do, but unfortunately, they have suppressed, put to sleep, or even killed their conscience. For this large mass of individuals who claim to be saints already, we must beg pardon and offer prayers of reparation for their sins and for their eternal salvation. “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

7. Deathbed Sinners

A very important class of people whom we must pray for urgently (Jesus constantly reminds Saint Faustina to pray for them) are those individuals who are about to die and most unfortunately are in the state of mortal sin, so that their eternal salvation is in grave jeopardy. For this reason, the great woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Catherine of Siena, asserted: “The two most important moments in our life are the following: now and at the hour of our death.” Why? We only have this precise moment, “Now.” “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

MONDAY, July 19th   Mt. 12: 38-42   “At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

• We have Someone greater than Jonah here! How frequently and sincerely do we repent of our sins? During the Pandemic, some may have lost the practice of frequent Confession—at least every month! May the wisdom of the saints encourage us to maintain a habit of frequent confession!
• “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.” —St. Augustine
• “In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You.” —St. Augustine
• “Confession is an act of honesty and courage—an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.” —St. Pope John Paul II
•  “Obedience to a confessor is the most acceptable offering which we can make to God, and the most secure way of doing the divine will.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori
• “After confession, a crown is given to penitents.” —St. John Chrysostom
• Let Fr. Ed walk us through the clear, concise steps to a make a good Confession, then share this with others to help them re-establish the habit of frequent confessions where the Mercy of God meets the misery of the sinner!

TWENTY-FIVE HELPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CONFESSION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

In Sacramental Theology exists an all-important concept for the efficacious reception of any of the Sacraments. This is called Dispositive Grace or Grace of Disposition. What this concept means is simply this: the graces that you receive in your reception of the Sacraments are in direct proportion to the disposition of your soul at the moment of the reception of that specific Sacrament.

SACRAMENTS AND JESUS.  In the Sacraments Jesus touches us directly, in the most personal and powerful way that we could possibly imagine. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ and Christ unites Himself with us through the Sacraments.

SIMPLE EXAMPLE: RECEIVING A GUEST.  One of the easiest analogies to understand the concept of Dispositive Grace could be the example of inviting a guest to dinner. There is a whole gamut of ways that the guest could be received, from totally poor to excellent. In inviting a guest, you might even forget that you invited him—pretty shabby! Or the guest might come and the door is open, but there has been no prior preparation. Still again, the guest might be received with a meal prepared, but all is done in a rush, in which the guest feels as if he were a burden. Then, there might be preparation for the guest with a warm welcome, a good meal, and great desert. Finally, it might be such that the house was cleaned the day before, the favorite food of the guest has been prepared, the guest’s favorite music is playing in the background, and then at the end of the meal, the family offers the guest a special gift that the guest really likes! Obviously, every scenario is different. This can be applied with respect to the concept of Dispositive Grace, most specifically to the reception of Jesus in the Eucharist. He can be received very poorly or with an excellent disposition.

FREQUENT SACRAMENTS TO BE RECEIVED.  There are two Sacraments that we should receive frequently until we die and meet the Lord—Confession and the Holy Eucharist. In this article we would like to highlight specific ways that we can enhance the graces that we receive in the reception of the Sacrament of Confession, sometimes called Penance or Reconciliation. The suggestions will be very short, but we hope very useful to upgrade your reception of the Infinite Mercy of Jesus that comes through this Sacrament. This in turn will enhance your disposition to receive Jesus more worthily in the Eucharist!

1. TRUST.  We must have a limitless TRUST in the Infinite Love and Mercy that comes to us through Jesus in the Sacrament of His Mercy, Confession. May this prayer issue forth from our heart time and time again: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

2. READ AND MEDITATE UPON LUKE 15.  An excellent means to prepare us to receive the Sacrament of God’s Mercy is to read and meditate upon Luke 15, sometimes called the Lost and Found Chapter.

3. PARABLES OF MERCY.  In Luke 15 we encounter the lost and found sheep, the lost and found coin, and the lost and found son—the Prodigal Son. Confession is being found and loved by our Merciful Father.

4. JUST DO IT!  The modern phrase found on many young people’s T-shirts is Just do it! The devil will try to prevent you from going to confession. So, kick the devil in the behind and Just do it!

5. PRIEST-CHRIST.  We must renew our faith that by going to confession to the priest we are really confessing to Jesus, the Eternal High Priest.

6. BIBLICAL TRUTH.  Recall the words that Jesus used in instituting the Sacrament of Confession on that first Easter Sunday night when the Apostles were in the Upper Room. “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive, will be forgiven; whose sins you retain, will be retained.” (Jn. 20: 22-23)

7. MORTAL SIN: CONFESS RIGHT AWAY!  If you have had the misfortune of falling into mortal sin, which means you have lost sanctifying grace and friendship with Jesus, do not wait but go to Confession as soon as possible! If your house was on fire, you would not wait to call the Fire Department! What about your soul being in danger of eternal perdition? Do not wait!!!

8. PREPARE WELL!!!  As said earlier, expressing the concept of Dispositive Grace, the better the preparation, the more abundant the graces. The fault is never in the Sacrament, but in the poor disposition of the recipient of the Sacrament.

9. HOW TO PREPARE?  Get a good booklet explaining the Ten Commandments in detail and read through it; better said, pray through it. Jesus said to the rich young man that salvation comes through observing the Commandments. Indeed, they are Commandments, not Suggestions!

10. WRITTEN.  It could be very helpful to write down your sins on a piece of paper. This will prevent memory loss in the moment you go to confession. However, after confession, trash the paper and the sins!

11. SORROW.  Of paramount importance in making a good confession is begging the Holy Spirit for the grace of true sorrow for your sins. Imperfect sorrow is called Attrition, which is Fear of the Lord, the beginning of Wisdom. It is also one of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Imperfect sorrow is fear of going to hell. This is enough to receive forgiveness for our sins.

12. PERFECT SORROW.  However, we want to arrive at perfect sorrow. This means that we are sorry for having sinned because our sins have hurt the One who loves us so much and the One we should love in return—Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

13. BEG FOR THE GRACE.  We should beg for the grace to attain both imperfect contrition, as well as perfect contrition. Saint Augustine put it concisely: “We are all beggars before God.”

14. FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT.  What necessarily flows from true and sincere contrition of sorrow for our sins is a firm purpose of amendment. In concrete, this means that we are ready and willing to avoid any person, place, thing, or circumstance that can lead us into sin.

15. DO NOT PLAY WITH FIRE.  In other words, morally speaking, we should not play with fire. We should not walk on a slippery slope. We should not walk on thin ice. Often we sin because we place ourselves in harm’s way.  We must be firm in avoiding all near occasions of sin!

16. PREPARE BEFORE IMAGES.  Of great usefulness as you prepare yourself for confession, as you examine your conscience and beg for true sorrow, is to pray before images that raise your mind and heart to God. Three in particular. The Crucifix—be aware that your sins and mine nailed Jesus to the cross. Divine Mercy, so that your trust in Jesus’ Mercy will be infinite! Finally, Our Lady, to whom we pray: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

17. BEFORE CONFESSING: PRAY FOR THE PRIEST.  On one occasion, Saint Faustina left the confessional intranquil and she wondered why.  Jesus revealed to her the reason: she forgot to pray for the priest before she entered the confessional. So pray for the priest (a Hail Mary or a prayer to the Guardian Angels—his and yours) and your confession will flow more smoothly!

18. QUALITIES OF A GOOD CONFESSION.  Jesus also revealed to Saint Faustina the three most important qualities of a good confession: transparency, humility, and obedience. To be a good penitent, we must express our sins with great clarity. We should make no excuses for our sins or blame others. Finally, we should obey what the priest tells us!

19. CLOSE THE DOOR AND START RIGHT.  Upon entering the confessional make sure that you close the door! Then start with the proper formula: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was… (for example, a month ago). These are my sins… (say your sins). It is necessary to say the number and species (kind) of your mortal sins.

20. STICK TO THE TOPIC.  In that famous TV Program Dragnet, we heard those all-important words from Police Detective, Joe Friday: “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts. In confession the priest wants to hear:  Just the sins, ma’am, just the sins. Cut to the quick and tell your sins; that is the essential matter for confession and for a true and repentant heart!

21. ACT OF CONTRITION AND ABSOLUTION.  The Sacrament concludes with you, the penitent, praying with great sincerity and fervor an Act of Contrition. Then the priest imparts ABSOLUTION. With the words of Absolution through the ministry of the priest, the most Precious Blood of Jesus washes your soul clean, as white as the snow!

22. AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!  Thank the priest, and as you leave thank Jesus for His Infinite Love and Mercy that you just received in this wonderful Sacrament! “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1)

23. PENANCE!  The last and final step of making a good confession is to carry out the penance the priest gives you. Once my Formator, when I was in preparation for the priesthood, made a suggestion regarding the penance. He said to always try to do double what the confessor gives you.  Not that this is absolutely necessary. However, it is a sign of good will and a sign of a really good grace of disposition. God will bless you all the more! He can never be outdone in generosity!

24. HEALING THE WOUNDED HEART AND SOUL.  The specific sacramental grace of Confession is that of Healing. Sin wounds our soul, but Jesus heals us. As Jesus healed the many sick and infirm in the three years of His Public life, so He continually heals us through making good confessions. Rejoice in being healed! Indeed, Jesus is the Wounded-Healer!

25. BE AN APOSTLE OF CONFESSION!   You have received so much peace, joy, happiness, love, and mercy through having received the Sacrament of God’s Mercy, Confession, now go out and proclaim the Good News! Bring others to this infinite Font of God’s mercy! Again, I say, “Give thanks to the lord for he is good; his mercy endures forever!!!” (Ps. 136:1)

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

SUNDAY, July 18th   Mk. 6: 30-34   “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

• “They were like sheep with without a shepherd” and Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them.
• We are called to be a good shepherd to others. To build up rather than to tear down. Too often, we do the opposite, we tear others down with our words, instead of building them up. This is the topic of today’s meditation.

BUILDING UP WITH WORDS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All of us can remember having been hurt by somebody speaking without thinking and stinging our heart, leaving a lasting bad memory. Also, all of us remember having opened up our mouths without sufficient reflection and wounding our brother, sister or friend! Immediately after the word slipped out of our mouth, we wanted to reel it back in, but no, too late! Once the word has been uttered, there is no “muting”, withdrawing, or preventing its arrival to the ear and heart of the listener.

Jesus speaks very clearly about our words: “Every word that comes out of the mouth will be subject to judgment.” (Mt. 12: 36) St. James dedicates almost an entire chapter (Chapter 3) to the sins of the tongue. In short, the Apostle underscores the importance of learning the art of speech, reminding us that we should be slow to speak and quick to listen. He reminds us that man can control almost all types of animals, but not the tongue! Moreover, he says that the same tongue that is used to praise God, ends up by cursing one’s neighbor. This is wrong!

Therefore, we would like to offer five short suggestions to help us to utilize our tongue, our speech, our words, our conversation as a means to truly edify our neighbor—that means, to build up our neighbor!

First Counsel…  We should make it a habit to first talk to God and then talk to our neighbor. It was said of the great St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers (among which were St. Albert the Great and his student, St. Thomas Aquinas) that he would first talk to God, and then talk about God to others! Superb! Ideally that should be our motto and objective in life with regard to speech—that our words would in some way be communicating the presence of God to others!

Second Counsel…  Think before you speak! St. Ignatius observed that a soul that is agitated is a soul in a state of desolation. When we are in this state it is not the good spirit guiding us but the bad spirit! At these times, it is incumbent upon us to speak only after reflection and with a calm and peaceful mind! Rushed and impetuous words from unclear and muddled ideas often cause confusion and hurt. Avoid it!

Third Counsel…  SILENCE! Pope Benedict XVI insisted on the capital importance of cultivating silence in our daily lives. Today we suffer from noise pollution. Radio talk-shows and pop music, non-stop TV programs, add to that endless chatter, often filled with gossip—all of us have experienced these scenarios all too frequently! The Holy Father went so far as to say that if we do not have times of silence in our day, then we really cannot hear or understand the person who wants to talk to us! Silence creates an interior space for listening; listening disposes us for union with the Holy Spirit; finally, the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray and listen attentively and charitably to our brothers and sisters!

Fourth Counsel… A Biblical counsel of great importance: THE GOLDEN RULE! The “Golden Rule” enunciated by Jesus Himself is very simple and everybody in the world understands it: “Do unto others what you want them to do to you.” Why not take the Golden Rule one more step and apply it specifically to our speech. That is, “Say to others what you want them to say to you!” Try it out!

Fifth Counsel…  At times it is not clear if what we are saying to others is harmful or beneficial! What can be of great help in this matter is to imagine that during your conversation, given your choice of words, tone of voice and even facial expression, three very important persons are present and listening attentively. These three persons are Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph. Now ask yourself: “Are Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph pleased with this conversation?” This is the acid test for followers of Jesus! Are our words pleasing in the sight of God, His Holy Mother, and Good St. Joseph—who never even spoke a word in all of Sacred Scripture?

Conclusion. Jesus said that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Also, Jesus warned us that we will be judged on every word that comes out of our mouth. St. James gives us this warning: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

In the Diary of St. Faustina she admitted her three primary faults were: 1) Pride in not being open to her Superior, Mother Irene. 2) TALKING TOO MUCH! She admitted honestly that Jesus revealed to her that at times He preferred her to be silent rather than to speak for two reasons: the person would not profit from her words, and it would be much more beneficial for the souls in Purgatory to have her prayers (in those moments) rather than her conversation. Finally, 3) She did not always observe the Rule faithfully.

Let us remember the challenging exhortation of the Franciscan Doctor of the Church, St. Bonaventure: “We should open our mouths on three occasions: to praise God, to accuse ourselves, and to edify our neighbor.” Faithful to this exhortation, we will surely avoid many slips of the tongue, anoint our words with the Holy Spirit, and store up for ourselves an eternal inheritance in heaven!

May Our Lady, who pondered in her Immaculate Heart before speaking, teach us to magnify the Lord in our words and to truly edify our neighbor! “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

SATURDAY, July 17th   Mt. 12: 14-24   “A bruised reed he will not break,a smouldering wick he will not quench.”

• These tender words are spoken about Jesus our Savior! But they also describe Mary, Mother of Jesus and Our Loving Mother. Let us seek Mary’s help in unraveling the problems we encounter in our Church, in our country, in our own homes and families, and even in our own hearts!

OUR LADY—UNDOER OF KNOTS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the Marian devotions that is growing stronger in various places is that of OUR LADY, UNDOER OF KNOTS. In fact, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots.

BASIC CONCEPT.  The basic idea in this Marian devotion could not be more simple. All of us have had experiences in our lives where we were working with a thread, a string, or even a rope and we hit a snag: there was a knot in the thread, string, or rope. Consequently, we could not move forward until the knot was undone. Usually women have a knack for being able to untie those knots better than men—at least that is true in my case. Mom could untie and undo the knot in the thread quicker than I could! Our lives constantly involve knots of one kind or another. It is hard to go through a day without being entangled in some form of knot. If this knot is not undone, it becomes more entangled and difficult to undo. On the contrary, as soon as the knot is untied and undone, there is a real sense of relief; we can breathe more easily and peace is restored to our heart, mind, and soul.

Therefore, in this short chapter we would like to present some typical knots that many of us encounter in our daily walk of life. With the knowledge of these knots, we would invite all not to ignore the knots but try to untie them. However, do not try to untie the knots with your own hands and fingers; rather, place the knots in the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the true Undoer of Knots, and trust that the knots will be undone and you will experience the peace that you are desiring so much in your life.

WHAT TYPES OF KNOTS???  Actually, what we term knots can come in any shape or form, and in any time, place, culture, or circumstance. This being said, we would like to mention just a few. However, it is our hope, that as we grow in knowledge, love, and devotion to Mary who is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, as well as our loving Mother, we will start to form the habit of not staying knotted up in our lives, but rather go to Mary, Undoer of Knots, to unknot our complicated lives.

1. FAMILY KNOTS. 

All of us struggle in our relationships in dealing with people on a daily basis, especially members of our own family. A cold relationship between a husband and wife, problems with alcoholism, past unfaithfulness, indifference in communication. These are thorny knots that we should bring to Our Lady and ask for her intercession. As Jesus turned water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana through Mary’s intercession, so through her intercession there can be a breakthrough in a family knot.

2. SON/DAUGHTER WITH PROBLEMS. 

Most parents have some form of problem with one or more of their children. Well, instead of worrying and even giving into despair, why not give these children to Mary and beg Mary to help them with their struggles? Mary is Mother of the holy as well as the unholy; Mary is Mother of the obedient children as well as the Prodigal sons and daughters. Open up and tell Mary what is in your heart about these lost sheep of your flock. The Mother of the Good Shepherd will not abandon those sheep.

3. HEALTH ISSUES. 

As a result of Original Sin, sooner or later something goes wrong with our health; the possible sicknesses and diseases are countless. However, it must be said that if we keep our problems to ourselves, especially with respect to our health, then interiorly we suffer more and can fall into depression. Why not give your whole self, and that includes your bodily ailments, to Mary, who is also known as Health of the Sick? On many occasions, Our Lady has interceded to heal incurable sicknesses and diseases—especially in Lourdes, France. Nonetheless, even if the sickness is not healed immediately or never healed, you will know that there is a loving and tender Mother at your side to console you, comfort you, and support you in the physical cross that you must bear. When Our Lady intervenes with her powerful maternal presence, the cross becomes much lighter. For that reason, we cry out to Mary as “Our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” (from the Hail Holy Queen prayer)

4. MORAL ISSUES: STRUGGLES WITH SIN. 

Not only do we struggle with physical sicknesses, but also with moral sicknesses; this we call sin!  One of the great privileges that God bestowed on Mary, which is a blessing for the whole human race, is the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. By this great blessing, Mary was conceived without the stain of Original Sin and she was impeccable—meaning that Our Lady never once in her entire life committed even the smallest sin. She desires to share her purity, her holiness, and her great love for God with us, her children. Therefore, one, if not many of the knots that we need untied is that of our sinfulness. By lifting up our gaze to Mary, the full of grace, she can help us to overcome bad habits that we call vices. Mary can even help us conquer age-old bad habits that haunt us to this very day. Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, can help us to untie that knot of sin that is really binding us. For that reason, Jesus calls sin SLAVERY! Mary wants to help us break the bonds of sin, rent asunder this moral slavery, and experience the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!  Turn to Mary and talk to her about your struggles with the sin or sins that you cannot seem to overcome. Mary is your ally; she will help you to be victorious!!!

5. FEARS, UNCERTAINTIES, ANXIETIES. 

In this world many, possibly even you, experience on a daily basis some form of fear, anxiety, doubt, uncertainty, stress, etc. These fears are like ghosts that come out of the closet to haunt us. If we do not come to terms with these often unreal ghosts, then we can go through life being almost paralyzed with unwarranted fears. This will prevent us from living our lives to the fullest extent possible, cultivating our talents, and growing on a human and a supernatural plane. A little child who is absorbed and inundated with fears runs to their Mother for safety and security. So should we run and seek refuge in Mary, our loving and tender Mother, as well as the UNDOER OF KNOTS!!!

In conclusion, we all have many knots in our family life, social life, professional life, moral life and life in general. Let us not keep these knots to ourselves, but rather let us place them in Mary’s hands and she will undo the knots, and as such we will experience the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God, and the true freedom of the sons and daughters of Mary, the true UNDOER OF KNOTS!!!

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

FRIDAY, July 16th   Mt. 12: 1-8   OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL  “The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

• Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He is also Lord of our hearts! Our Lord earnestly desires that we honor and love the one whom He loved most on earth and loves most in Heaven, the Immaculate and Blessed Virgin Mary.
• We know her under many titles, one of the most famous being Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with the investment and wearing of the brown Scapular. If we are not invested with the brown Scapular, after Fr. Ed’s exposition of its purpose and power, may we become invested! If we already wear the brown Scapular, may we renew our consecration, love and devotion to Our Lady trusting in her protection now and at the hour of our death!

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL AND THE SCAPULAR by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Every year on the 16th of July, the Church celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She is the Patroness in a very special way of the Carmelite Order, the male and female branches, as well as the Lay Associates.

HONORING MARY.  Our Lady can be honored in many different ways, but in a very special way on July 16th under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Therefore, in this short presentation we would like to offer key information to foster our devotion to Mary under the title Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and in a most special way with respect to the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

THE SCAPULAR AND A VERY SPECIAL SAINT: SAINT SIMON STOCK!  According to tradition, on July 16, 1251 Our Lady appeared to a Religious priest of the Order of the Carmelites, Saint Simon Stock, and she handed to him a brown woolen Scapular. She said to him: This shall be the privilege for you and the Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.” In the course of history, the investment, wearing, and love of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has spread far and wide.

MEANING OF SCAPULAR.  The actual meaning of the word Scapular (Scapula) is that of shoulder because the Scapular is worn over one’s shoulder.

COMPOSITION OF THE SCAPULAR OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL. The Scapular is made of brown wool with a string or cord actually connecting two Scapulars—a Scapular to be worn in front and a second Scapular to be worn in back; as such, the Scapular is placed over the shoulder. Moreover, this Scapular is to be worn at all times—except when taking a shower or bath.

GARMENT OF GRACE.  The Scapular is known as the Garment of Grace. There is a wonderful little booklet composed and published by Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary with the title GARMENT OF GRACE. Hopefully you will purchase this little gem and read it. Not only does it explain the meaning and history of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, but at the end of the pamphlet there is a short but very clear catechesis on the Scapular.

BELONGING TO MARY: EXTERIOR SIGN—THE SCAPULAR.  We can better understand the meaning of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel by means of an analogy. A soldier wears his uniform—each branch of the armed services has their own specific attire; a baseball player wears the uniform of his team and that differentiates him from the other teams; policemen, firemen, and medical personnel are identified by the garb they wear. In a parallel sense, Mary has her followers. They distinguish themselves by the wearing of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

FAMILY OF MARY.  If you like, giving the concept a different twist, those who wear the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel belong to the school of Mary and to the family of Mary. Even more profound and intimate, those who wear the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel belong to the Heart of Mary and are embraced by the Immaculate and most pure Heart of Mary. In a real sense, they are seeking the Heart of Mary as their refuge, their haven, their sure place of security amidst the many trials and temptations in life.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA AND THE SCAPULAR.  Our Lady of Fatima appeared six times to the little children of Fatima—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. Our Lady promised a miracle in October. This was the miracle of the sun spinning in the sky like a fiery kaleidoscope. In addition to this, the children saw a vision in the sky of the Child Jesus in the arms of Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Sorrows, and also Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared. This noteworthy appearance of Our Lady of Mount Carmel speaks very eloquently about the fact that she wears the Scapular and ardently desires that those who really love her should also wear the Scapular as their sign of devotion and consecration to her.

SCAPULAR AND LITTLE CHILDREN.  For many years, it was the custom in parishes on the day of First Holy Communion to invest the children with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The priest would impose the Scapular over the shoulders of each child, and then enroll the child in the Confraternity of the Scapular, and that was for life!!!

THE WORDS OF INVESTITURE / ENROLLMENT.  The following are the words said by a priest enrolling a person who can be an adult, teen, child, anyone who so desires: “Receive this blessed habit, praying to the most holy Virgin that by Her merits you may wear it without stain, and that She may guard you from all evil and bring you to eternal life.”        

Then the priest continues with the following words in which one becomes an official member and part of the Religious Order of Mount Carmel: “By the power granted to me, I admit you to participate in all of the spiritual goods, which through the gracious help of Jesus Christ are performed by the religious Order of Mount Carmel. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Then there is the concluding prayer, which indeed is worthy of deep meditation: “May the Creator of Heaven and earth, Almighty God bless + you; who has deigned to unite you to the confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel. We beseech her, in the hour of your death, to crush the head of the ancient serpent, so that you may in the end win the everlasting palm and crown of the heavenly inheritance, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

LIVING OUT THE MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR.  How then should we live out the investiture and wearing of the Scapular? There are various gestures or actions we can carry out: 

1. WEAR THE SCAPULAR WITH PRIDE.  Always wear the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and with great love, pride, and trust. You truly belong to Mary; you are a noble member of Mary’s family.

2. CONSECRATE YOURSELF TO MARY.  Upon arising every morning make it a habit to consecrate your whole self, your whole being to Mary—your heart, mind, body, and soul, your past, present, and future.

Consecration Prayer:

Mary, my Queen and my Mother, I give myself wholly to you. To show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my entire being without reserve. Since I am your own dear Mother, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

3. KISS THE SCAPULAR.  The kiss is a universal symbol of love. By kissing the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, you are like a little child kissing his mother with tenderness and love.

4. INDULGENCE.  The Church is so pleased with the gesture of kissing the Scapular that it offers a Partial Indulgence every time it is kissed. You can offer this for the poor souls in Purgatory to alleviate their suffering and facilitate their speedy entrance to heaven.

5. MARY’S EMBRACE.  The Scapular is worn over your shoulder, as well as over your heart. It should be a constant reminder of Mary’s presence in your life and of her loving and maternal embrace.

6. IMITATE MARY.  If truly we love Jesus and Mary, then we should strive to imitate Mary.

7. IN WHAT VIRTUES? In all virtues, but most especially in her profound humility, untarnished purity, and ardent charity—love for God and neighbor!

8. TEMPTATIONS?  In times of temptation, it is important to call on Mary, and if possible to kiss the Scapular, begging Mary to ward off the evil spirits in your life.

9. APOSTLE OF MARY.  If we really love Mary, then we should do all in our power to make her known. Try to be an Apostle of Mary by getting people to pray the Holy Rosary and to wear the brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

10. DIE WITH THE SCAPULAR.  Beg for the grace to die in the state of grace with Mary’s Scapular surrounding you, and especially with Mary’s Scapular over your heart!!!